Explainer newsletter
Fascinating answers to perplexing questions delivered to your inbox.
Daily Sudoku
Challenge yourself with today’s four difficulty levels.
Please Explain podcast
Expert daily insight into the stories that drive the nation.
Isolation period to remain at 72 hours in face of new variant
All international arrivals to NSW will be subjected to a 72-hour self-isolation period, ending speculation the period could be extended.
Analysis
Science
What is COVID-19’s endgame? Depends on what exactly you’re talking about
Early indications suggest that Omicron is more transmissible than even the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, but that it also produces a more mild form of the disease.
Omicron arrival sparks review of booster program
Australia’s expert immunisation panel is reviewing whether to shorten the time frame for vaccine booster shots, with the threat of a COVID-19 surge during winter likely to influence the decision.
Opinion
Cosmetic Cowboys
The jig is up: it’s time to rein in the Wild West industry
Patients have been maimed and surgeries botched while politicians were too uninterested to change the laws. It took brave patients, whistleblowers and social media experts to finally get action.
Adele Ferguson
Investigative journalist and columnist
Health regulator to review cosmetic surgery industry
AHPRA announced a sweeping review of the sector following an investigation by the Herald and The Age.
Opinion
Opinion
Start with the name for true reform of the cosmetic surgery
A review of the sector after decades of devastating patient harm is long overdue, but there is a long way to go before true reform takes place.
Dr Robert Sheen
President of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
Analysis
Gender equality
‘Act fast and don’t cherry pick’: How to fix Parliament’s broken culture
The recommendations must be adopted as a package, not cherry-picked or watered down.
Opinion
Berejiklian inquiry
Morrison’s rant against ICAC needs a good fact-check
There have been no “shameful attacks” on Berejiklian by the NSW ICAC, as he claimed.
Nicholas Cowdery QC
Renewables to exceed Labor’s target as electricity prices fall
Renewables are rapidly replacing coal in the energy grid, spurring a drop of 7.7 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions in the past 12 months.
Push to give more of Oxford Street to pedestrians
The election pledge adds to the numerous pitches to revamp Oxford Street in the lead-up to Saturday’s NSW local council ballot.
Prince Charles, Rihanna watch as Barbados ditches the Queen
The heir to the British throne stood sombrely as the Queen’s royal standard was lowered.
Updated
Crime
Search team tight-lipped as remains found during search for campers
Police were searching for Russell Hill and Carol Clay in remote bushland near Dargo, in Victoria’s east.
‘Not going to change’: Sydney FC haven’t grown stale, Corica says
It’s been their worst start to a season in almost a decade, but Sydney FC’s coach sees no reason to switch things up.
NRL refuses to register Milford’s Rabbitohs contract
The NRL is refusing to register the contract of Anthony Milford while he is facing charges of assaulting two women.
Inside the strong bond between Australia’s top fashion prize winners
The winners of this year’s Australian Laureate Awards share a creative connection that can be followed back to pioneer Linda Jackson.
Good Food Guide 2022
Comfort eating takes on new flavour as Sydney embraces dining out once more
Vol-au-vents, Marie Rose sauce and prawn cocktails, oh my. As Sydney embraces dining out once more, there is also a sense of clinging to familiarity.
‘A restaurant explosion’: Sydney dining bursts with 2000 Olympics-style energy
Sydney is in the midst of a restaurant explosion. Here are the six trends to look out for.
Sydney
Bags packed and ticket in hand, Aashish woke with a sense of dread
Nepali student Aashish Thakur was ready to get on plane to complete his Masters in Information Systems degree in Australia. And then the ‘inevitable’ happened.
Police search three Sydney properties over Revelle Balmain disappearance
Ms Balmain, then aged 22, was last seen in the Kingsford area November 5, 1994, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and is believed to have been killed.
Exclusive
Cycling
Bid to lift speed and power caps of electric bikes
A NSW Productivity Commission paper has called for a national review of the laws relating to electric bicycles.
Opinion
Planning
To revive its high streets, Sydney should look to Melbourne for inspiration
Melbourne supermarkets are tucked behind high streets and shoppers then emerge to wander down the streets.
Jenna Price
Columnist and academic
Politics
Sex harasser MPs face suspension and docked salary after harrowing report
Federal MPs who sexually harass and assault staff face being suspended and having their pay docked after review found harassment was “normalised”.
Business
‘Looking for partners’: AMP targets fintechs under new growth strategy
New chief executive Alexis George has sought to start a new chapter in the 172-year-old company’s trajectory after a bruising past few years.
World
Prince Charles, Rihanna watch as Barbados ditches the Queen
At the strike of midnight, a republic was born and the last colonial bonds severed nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived on the island.
Opinion
Explore
Got a news tip?
Share information with our journalists securely and confidentially. Learn more
Property bydomain
Rare untouched London trophy home selling for $65 million
The largest single property currently for sale in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is up for grabs. This is London real estate at its best.
Pymble mansion sets $12m auction high for upper north shore
The sprawling tennis court estate smashed the Pymble suburb record by more than $2 million when it sold under the hammer on the weekend.
Lifestyle
And on the first day post-lockdown, she bought a Christmas tree
It’s not yet December but social media feeds are lighting up with fairy lights, baubles and cheer to remedy 2021’s woes.
Culture
Venom sequel: Hardy’s Jekyll and Hyde movie not quite weird enough
Directed by Andy Serkis, Venom: Let There be Carnage blends action, horror and bromance.
Sport
Cummins v Root takes Ashes rivalry to new levels, says Buttler
Rarely do opposing captains go head-to-head in a Test, but the appointment of Pat Cummins will give him the chance to square off against his English opposite.
Carey set for baggy green at the Gabba
The South Australian wicketkeeper has performed strongly in a World Cup, held an official leadership position and is battle-hardened by recent match practice.
NRL refuses to register Milford’s Rabbitohs contract while player faces assault charges
The NRL is refusing to register the contract of Anthony Milford while he is facing charges of assaulting two women.
Return of Stokes ‘massive’ for England but bowlers hold key to Ashes glory: Bayliss
The Sydney Thunder coach knows what it takes to beat Australia in an Ashes series.
Updated
NRL 2022
Smith saga highlights issues with transfer rules, but change won’t come soon
The NRL concedes changes must be made to prevent Brandon Smith-style scenarios, but they won’t occur for at least another season.
Money or politics? Cricket Australia’s $17m Ashes Test conundrum
Mark McGowan’s closed border populism has left Cricket Australia with an age-old conundrum - loyalty to the game’s structure or hunger for revenue. The venue for the fifth Ashes Test could make a $17 million difference.
‘We’re not going to change’: Sydney FC haven’t grown stale, Corica says
It’s been their worst start to an A-League Men season in almost a decade, but Sydney FC coach Steve Corica sees no reason to switch things up.
Have Your Say
IPL franchise sales a warning for Australian cricket, not an invitation
Australia has consistently produced world-beating cricket teams, and there is little reason to fear it is not sustainable. So, why should Australian cricket chase more money?